Trash crews ask residents for help after Harvey

Solid waste crews have been out on the streets of Houston for 19 days now, and they’ve barely made a dent. They’re getting help from teams out of Austin and San Antonio, but they say they need residents to pitch in as well.

Author:
Janelle Bludau

Published:
5:16 PM CDT September 18, 2017

Updated:
5:16 PM CDT September 18, 2017

It’s Day 19 of debris cleanup for many Houston residents, but as trash trucks continue to sweep the streets, the process is far from over.

However, there are ways you can help make the process much easier.

As his shattered memories and broken belongings lay scattered on the ground below, Steve Maione recalls the horrible night it happened.

“And I wanted to get the wedding pictures we had in the bedroom, so I went over there and picked up the two pictures in my bare feet. And I didn’t carefully walk across the foyer, so I slipped and fell on my tailbone," Maione said.

As the flood waters rose into his home, Maione laid on the floor for 12 hours before he was finally rescued.

“Somebody pinch me and say that was one hell of a nightmare," Maione said.

He’s like many others whose entire lives have been tossed out on the lawn.

“Yeah, it hurts to see our life go down the drain, but guess what we’re still here," said Janice Simmons, City of Houston Solid Waste Supervisor.

Simmons says her crew has been working non-stop to help people open the next chapter of their lives by cleaning up the past.

“A load is anywhere from 30 min to an hour, and that’s one load," Simmons said.

But she needs your help to make it easier.

“And if it’s parked cars there, we don’t want to service it, because we don’t want to damage any cars. The mailboxes are a problem because the residents are putting the trash on top of the mailbox," Simmons said. “Move the cars and keep the debris away from the mailbox and from under the tree.”

And if it’s not too much more to ask, Simmons says please have patience. She promises they won’t forget you.